Horse Photo Competition 1 2015 : Results

Judges Comment
what an absolutely stunning image. everything about this image makes it an instant fave but also keeps the viewer coming back for subsequent viewings. beautiful soft tones, the little spots of yellow flowers, rich textures - from the soft sky to the blowing grasses, windblown mane and dappled coat of this magnificent horse - all of it keeps our eye moving throughout, but always coming back to the main subject, the horse's face, the lifted leg and the horse's movement through this glorious landscape. beautiful seen and captured. well done! ~ illona
Photographers Comment
Thank you for selecting my photograph as the contest winner. My name is Vedran Vidak and I live in Croatia. The photograph was made on one of my many days spent with the wild horses on the mountain Cincar in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It's a special photo for me because of the atmosphere made by the wind. Equipment used : Canon 5d + Canon 70-200 mm 2.8

Judges Comment
what a great black and white image. the deep blacks give it such depth and lead the viewer's eye directly to the silhouette of the horse in the opening of light, while the various textures keep our eye exploring. nicely seen, captured and edited. ~ illona

Judges Comment
this image is an instant favorite ... everything about it works -- the glorious sky, its fabulous reflection in the still water, the texture and golden tones of the grasses, and the sweet pony centered with that bright spot of reflected sunset -- all are just fabulous. brilliantly done. congrats! ~ illona
Photographers Comment
Thank you so much for this Mark of Excellence. This is my favorite photo, taken this year. It was a beautiful sunset with this dramatic clouds and the sun and a lovely moment with my horse. I´m from Germany and the picture was taken with my Canon 5D Mark III and a Canon 16-35mm.
www.eilina-oertelt.de

Judges Comment
everything about this image is fabulous ... from the direct stare of the horse, the gnarled tree, and the clouds. i'd almost love to see it in color as i imagine the horse is a bay and would be striking against this blue sky ... but it works in black-and-white as well. nicely done. ~ illona
Photographers Comment
Thanks illona! This shot was taken in Norway. Shot with a Canon 5D Mark II and post processed in Lightroom. --Svein Nordrum
www.sveinnordrum.com

Judges Comment
what a fabulous image ... the great expanse of the landscape and the dramatic sky draw us in, leading us directly to the subject of this wonderful pony on the hill. beautifully seen, captured and edited. ~ illona

Judges Comment
what a fabulous panoramic image ... the wide expanse of fields, the big sky, the distant farm, and the cluster of ponies ... all work together to create a scene ready for an epic movie. wonderful seen and captured! ~ illona
Photographers Comment
I took this photo in Iceland on March 21, 2015, with a Leica M 240 and Summicron 35mm lens. ISO 250, f5.6, 1/350. Cropped and adjusted in Lightroom. --Val Schaffner
nabiarts.net

Judges Comment
the strength in this image lies in its simplicity and unique tones .... the swirl of heated breath, the low sun's glow on the mane, forelock and ears, and the fine details of the whiskers ... all make this a fabulous image. nicely done. ~ illona
Photographers Comment
It was a grey, dark und dusty morning. More than six years ago. I went to a farm, who are breeding frisian horses and there where these wonderful mare standing in the sun and the fog. Location was Merfeld/ Dülmen in North-Rhine-Westfalen Germany. My Camara at that time was the old Canon EOS 20D and a 70-200 from Canon. Post processing was simple. Only noise-reduction, a little bit of contrast in the highlights - that´s it. Thx a lot
andrea-schneider.eu

Judges Comment
i love everything about this "three amigos" image ... the soft tones, the dramatic sky, the wonderful texture in the field, the distant hill, but mostly these three fabulous horses resting on the hillside in the breeze. very nicely done! ~ illona
Photographers Comment
Thanks Illona! I'm glad you enjoyed the photos. My name is Valeria and I am Italian. This picture was taken in my favorite place: Campo Imperatore. It is a land where horses live in freedom. (Canon EOS 650D + Sigma 18-35 mm)
www.flickr.com/photos/valeriacardinale/

Judges Comment
this image is wonderfully unique in its angle and subject. the detail of the barbed wire is a great touch, but becomes a little lost in the yellow tones/tint of the overall image. i wonder if the tones were more natural if the barbed wire would stand out more as an element of this image ... or perhaps just edit it out so that it is not a distraction. either way, this is a unique, simple and creative shot. nicely done. ~ illona
Photographers Comment
Thanks so much for the recognition and the feedback! My name is Mike Hannon and I live just outside of Toronto, Canada. This photo was taken during a family vacation to California. We were in Anaheim and my wife and I decided to take a drive into the country. This photo was taken outside of the city of Orange. We were driving down this road and I saw three horses on a hill and pulled over. Surprisingly, this horse came right over and lowered his head over the barbed wire for some pets! I quickly grabbed my Ricoh GR and took this shot. The 28mm focal length worked well here and allowed me to get nice and close. Processed in Lightroom using VSCO. All the best!
www.flickr.com/photos/mike-hannon/

Judges Comment
what a fabulous silhouette image ... the choice to shoot this vertically works well with the tall trees, centering the horse in front of the lake. the simplicity of tone allows us to focus on the silhouettes. nicely done. ~ illona

Judges Comment
what a fabulous image and landscape ... reminding the viewer of an old western movie. the wonderful textures and colors lead the viewer's eyes from the magnificent horse to the span of sky, the distant mountains, the scrub and then the crumbling ridge. nicely done. ~ illona

Judges Comment
what a fabulous capture ... the perfect stride, great framing, and beautiful soft light and tones ... this image is all about power and majesty. very nicely done. ~ illona
Photographers Comment
Thank you Ilona, i'm from Germany and this pic is a old shot ( 2009 with the Canon D1 Mark II and the 100-400 ) This stallion stand in a farm in andalusia.
www.Jutta-Bauernschmitt.de

Judges Comment
the vibrancy and clean lines in this image make it immediately stand out, and the sweet subject matter set back in this glorious field of flowers, make this photo an instant favorite. beautiful capture. ~ illona
Photographers Comment
Thank you for the Mark of Excellence, I'm very honored. My name is Vinni Bruhn, I am 51 years old, and lives in Denmark. This picture shows my late Miniature Horse stallion when he was on the top of his career as show horse. Taken with Canon 50D, and Sigma 150-500 mm. EXIF: ISO 400, f/10, 1/1000
vinnibruhnphotography.zenfolio.com/